OpenAI says GPT 5.6 is the 'preferred model' for Microsoft Copilot amid breakup chatter
OpenAI has announced that its new GPT 5.6 model will be the preferred AI for Microsoft 365 Copilot, despite recent reports that Microsoft is increasingly using its own in-house models to cut costs.
Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft was replacing some of OpenAI’s software with its own in-house models, known as MAI, in an effort to reduce costs. These models were increasingly being used to power apps like Word and Excel. The story raised questions about whether the two companies, once seemingly inseparable, were drifting apart. On Thursday, during the launch of GPT 5.6, OpenAI announced that it would become the "preferred model" for Microsoft’s 365 Copilot. In a blog post, OpenAI stated that GPT 5.6 would support Microsoft users across its suite of productivity apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Cowork. "Our partnership with Microsoft has always been about bringing the benefits of advanced AI to more individuals and organizations, and we’re excited to continue building on that shared commitment," OpenAI wrote. What "preferred model" means is not entirely clear, other than that OpenAI’s software will continue to power Microsoft’s apps. The earlier Bloomberg report did not claim that OpenAI software would stop powering Microsoft apps, only that Microsoft was increasingly relying on its own models to cut costs. The new disclosure does not appear to contradict that reporting.
